Have you noticed your obedient plant rebelling into a doughnut shape with an empty hole in the middle? Has ‘Rozanne’ lost her vigor, with less and less flare each year? Are your spring tulips a carpet of green instead of red? Or maybe your friends are dying for a piece of your lungwort? While most flower gardens start out lush and colorful early in the season, late summer and fall often yield a less desirable look. Don’t be afraid to chop on your plants, you won’t hurt them. A little deadheading and dividing can go a long way in the perennial garden. >> read article

A little green thumb and a pair of pruners can go a long way in yielding a high quality harvest both in the veggie patch and fruit orchard. Pruning fruits and vegetables can be very beneficial in directing energy away from other plant parts towards the fruiting buds, leading to a more bountiful garden. >> read article

Gardeners often forget the magic of how quickly shrubs can fill an empty space in the landscape. While controlling size is the most common need for pruning, other reasons include encouraging bounties of bloom, artistic shaping such as when designing topiaries, and removal of dead and diseased wood. >> read article

Pruning is one of the best ways to give waning trees more vigor. Alternatively, it is one of the easiest ways to send a healthy tree into decline. Knowing how to make the right pruning cuts is a skill that takes practice and involves a lot of science too! >> read article

Take a Load Off
Seating in your garden can extend your enjoyment by Susan Jasan

After a long day working in your garden, there should be a special spot where you can stop and enjoy your labors. Whether it’s a small whimsical bench tucked in along a little garden path or a swing for two, seating in your garden can extend your enjoyment of your garden tremendously. >> read article

Constructing your own garden pond is not difficult, but certain aspects of the job must be done precisely. Here are some guidelines that will help you avoid common mistakes and create the garden pond of your dreams. >> read article

Rule the Roost
Adventures in permaculture with a chicken tractor by Cindy Shapton

What has wings, a manual transmission and runs on weeds and bugs? If you answered chicken tractor, you might be a gardener who owns chickens or one familiar with permaculture methods.

When I first learned of chicken tractors, I thought, now there is an idea I can get behind … literally. I couldn’t wait to give it a go. My son got me my first tractor equipped with two bantam chickens we named Taco and Cornbread. I couldn’t wait to start it up and watch it work. >> read article